We're Here Now
by maej26
Summary: Slash. Mike and Alex finally confess their feelings for one another after months of separation.


**Title:** We're Here Now  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Mike "The Miz" & Alex Riley  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Mike and Alex finally confess their feelings for one another after months of separation.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything but the idea.

**A/N:** I'm so obsessed with different confession scenarios and I love writing these guys to be emotional and sensitive. They just pull it off so perfectly. Hopefully, it works for you. Comments are always nice ;)

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><p>Mike lay awake in his bed thinking over everything that happened that night on RAW with Alex. They were featured in Piper's Pit and afterwards, Mike had to fight Rowdy Roddy Piper with Alex as the referee. It ended with Alex tossing Mike out of the ring and the look on Alex's face...Mike couldn't get that look out of his head. They were supposed to be fighting, angry at each other, but Alex almost looked as if he were sad, like he regretted something. Mike knew that Alex had broken character and during the kind of push he was getting, this was not something he could afford to be doing. He understood how hard this must be on the younger man because he was having one hell of a time letting go of Alex, his best friend and to make matters worse, the man he grew to love in much more than a friendly way.<p>

This storyline was tough, one day Mike and Alex were spending every waking moment with each other, just as they had been for the better part of a year and hell, they even spent every non-waking moment with each other, seeing as how they always shared a hotel room, and then the next day it was all gone within a matter of minutes. When Alex tore off Mike's clothes that first night they fought, it felt as if he were being stripped of everything that had meaning in his life. He was left with nothing more than a busted lip and an emptiness inside that made his chest ache more and more with each passing day. Losing the Championship was one thing but that was nothing compared to the pain he was feeling now that he lost Alex.

Realizing he wouldn't be able to sleep until he had a talk with his former protégé about breaking character on live television, Mike found himself already out of bed and half way down the hall walking towards Alex's room. Deep inside, Mike knew all too well that he wasn't really going to see Alex about business; he just wanted to be close to him again. He was happy to finally have an excuse now.

After taking a few deep breaths, Mike worked up enough courage to knock on the only thing that separated him from Alex. He really couldn't believe how nervous he was. It was pretty ridiculous, actually. Suddenly, Mike found himself face to face with the only person in the world he wanted to see. He almost stumbled backwards when he saw Alex wearing his **Hello, I'm Awesome** shirt. Mike's eyes traveled from the younger man's chest upwards and locked onto his deep blue eyes. There seemed to be a glow about Alex in that moment that Mike hadn't noticed before. The smile that formed across Alex's mouth was absolutely intoxicating.

"Hey, Mike. Do you want to," but before Alex could finish the question, Mike heard his name being called out from down the hall.

"Michael!" Maryse screeched.

Mike quickly snapped out of his daze and turned towards the blonde, "What?"

Before Mike could stop her, Maryse was dragging him back to their room uttering some nonsensical bullshit the whole way. But all he could hear was the sound of Alex's door shutting behind him and with it his only opportunity to spend time with him for who knows how long. Back in the privacy of their hotel room Mike sat on the bed and tried to focus on whatever Maryse was yammering on about but he was really starting to resent her for interrupting him. "What was so God damned important, Maryse, that it couldn't wait til the morning?"

"You think I'm stupid, don't you, Michael?" The tone in Maryse's voice switched to concern. "I don't know why you want to throw away everything we've worked so hard for. We have a good thing here. I'm safe with you and as long as people think you're with me, your position in the company is secure. Isn't that what you want? Wasn't this your idea to begin with?"

"I was just going to talk to him. Nothing was going to happen. I just want to see him...It's been _two weeks_." Mike stood up and added assertively, "He's still my best friend. No storyline could ever change that."

Maryse sighed, "Maybe you can just hold off until this whole thing blows over. If you guys are supposed to be fighting then...It just looks too suspicious if you're caught hanging out. You're with _me_." Maryse glared at Mike hoping he'd get the message without having to actually say the words.

Mike slumped back down on the bed feeling defeated and helpless. He looked over at his phone contemplating sending Alex a text, just wanting to communicate with him in some way but he knew Maryse was ultimately right. Now's not the time. Alex is in the middle of a big push and Mike wanted his friend to enjoy his moment in the spotlight without having any additional burdens to worry about and if that meant not talking to him, not seeing him, then so be it.

For the next month, Mike left everything he had in that ring during his matches with Alex. He was happy, he was frustrated, he was angry and conflicted. Anything one person could feel, Mike felt. He loved sharing the ring with Alex in any capacity but more than anything, he just wanted to move on from this storyline so he could spend time with his best friend again without rumors or controversy or any of that bullshit.

One time Mike actually broke character. It's not something he did often but in that moment he forgot where he was and for a few precious seconds, it was as if he and Alex were the only two people in the world. As he seductively stripped off his jacket, his eyes locked onto Alex so hard and he saw that look again, that glow. It was the same look he saw the night he went to talk to his friend about, ironically enough, breaking character. Unfortunately for Mike, Maryse saw the look too and wouldn't let him live it down for the next couple of days because if she saw the look then there's no telling how many others saw it too. The next night on RAW was Mike's last match with Alex. He was relieved the storyline was finally finished but something in him feared that it might have been the only reason they were still in contact at all.

Over the next few months, Mike's fears were realized. He was thrust back into the spotlight where he was the consummate professional and Alex, unable to find his footing, ended up fading into the background. _So much for that push_, he thought. Sleeping at night became a constant struggle for the former champ. His schedule had become so hectic and keeping his feelings for Alex buried inside really took its toll. There was no way he could ever confide in Ron the way he did with Alex and Maryse was the only person in the world who knew his secret and now that she was out recovering from an injury, Mike found himself completely alone.

Just as Mike was starting to accept this new path, he suddenly found himself with nothing but time on his hands. He was as free as he could be without really being fired. Of course, he was still obligated to do interviews and make brief appearances on the show but that was it. He was essentially on vacation for the next few weeks. In order to maintain the facade, he had to be seen with Maryse _many times_ but that was a small price to pay to finally have time to catch up with Alex. He wanted to surprise his former protégé, so after a week of interviews where he bashed the company he loved so much and tweeted about how much fun he was having with Maryse, he checked into the same hotel he knew Alex was staying in. Mike wasn't really sure what would happen that night, if anything at all, he just needed to finish what he started last June before Maryse pulled him away. Talking about breaking character wasn't really an option anymore. Not that it mattered; it was just a lame excuse anyway. That night, Mike stood in front of the mirror, trying to psych himself out. He thought he had been nervous after two weeks. Now it's been _three months_. But he was a grown man, a former WWE Champion for God's sake and this was Alex he was dealing with. Mike sighed, "Alex." He rolled his eyes at his sheer _patheticness_ and headed to Alex's room.

This time when Alex opened the door, Mike wasn't going to take any chances. He pushed passed the younger man not even noticing the huge smile that Alex was wearing on his face. When Mike turned around to face his friend, he did notice something else Alex was wearing, however - Mike's **Hello, I'm Awesome** shirt. _Just like last time_, Mike thought and he felt his cheeks grow warm.

"Hi, Mike. This is..." Alex looked around searching for the right word, then with a furrowed brow he continued, "Unexpected."

"Nice shirt," Mike said with a nervous chuckle, eyes fixated on the oversized nametag.

"Oh, well, you know, I didn't really have anything clean to wear and I found this in my bag, so...What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were on vacation or something. You on the run? I think I'm entitled to know if I'm harboring a fugitive." Alex winked at Mike but it went unnoticed.

Mike's nerves started creeping back. For someone who made much of his living talking, he sure wasn't doing much of it at the moment. "I, uh..." Mike looked up into Alex's eyes, just taking him in. He hadn't seen him in person, like this, in so long. "I missed you," and with those three words Mike moved in and wrapped his arms around the taller man.

Alex hugged Mike back but very loosely, attempting not to be so obvious with his own feelings. "I missed you, too," Alex echoed back before sinking into the warm crook of Mike's neck. He thought he heard a light whimper escape the older man and when Mike's embrace tightened around him he knew he _had_ heard a whimper and it almost broke his heart. With that, Alex extended his arms to hold the former champ as close to him as he possibly could in an effort to comfort him. The two men stood in each other's arms for a good amount of time before Alex finally broke the silence. "What's wrong, Mike?" he asked in the most soothing voice Mike had ever heard. He could feel the warmth of Alex's breath on his neck and he thought he could finally say the words he guarded deep within himself for so long.

"I guess these last few months have just been so..." Mike sniffed fighting back the flood of emotion that was overtaking him. "I just..."

"I get it, man. You've been working your ass to the bone and now that you've had some time off, it probably just all caught up to you, right?" Mike could hear traces of disappointment sprinkled throughout Alex's _very wrong_ assessment but couldn't understand why.

Still holding on, Mike hesitantly agreed. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. It's just...these _feelings_ I'm having are a bit...overwhelming," he said with his voice trailing off and sadness drenching that final word. Mike felt like such a coward for not just saying what he wanted to say, what he so desperately needed to say. He pulled back and looked up into Alex's eyes once again.

Alex knew Mike had been crying but seeing his sweet face covered in tears took his breath away. He'd never seen Mike this broken and raw before. As he wiped the tears from his friend's face he whispered, "God, Mike, you look so..." _beautiful_, he thought.

"Yeah, I look like a fucking mess." Suddenly feeling mortified, Mike turned away trying to clean his face and dry his eyes as fast as he could in an attempt to stop looking so foolish. When he turned back around to face Alex, he saw that look in his eyes. It was the same look from the night Alex broke character after tossing him out of the ring. Mike took a step towards Alex, "Tell me what you're thinking."

"What?" Alex suddenly became nervous knowing good and well what was going through his mind.

"Tell me what you're thinking, right now. What are you thinking about?" Mike persisted, urgency plaguing his voice.

Alex sighed and looked to the floor internally debating whether or not to say what he was really thinking. When he raised his head and locked onto Mike's desperate eyes he knew lying wasn't an option anymore, "You don't look like a mess." Alex moved closer and took Mike's face in his hands. "You look fucking beautiful." Now it was Mike's turn to catch his breath and as soon as he did he found himself passionately kissing Alex for the first time. It didn't feel like the first time though, it felt familiar and natural. Nothing in the world felt more right than this moment, until it did. Alex picked up Mike, wrapped his legs around his waist and carried him over to the bed. As he laid Mike down, he melted into him, kissing him so deeply, slow enough to take in every taste, every feeling. Their tongues, soft and warm, sweet and moist, pressing against one another. Alex broke free only to place loving kisses on Mike's forehead, his eyes, his temples, his cheeks and chin. He made his way to Mike's ear and then to his neck and nuzzled him there for a few moments drinking in the way Mike moaned his name over and over again. Hovering over Mike, Alex took his face in his hands once more. The look in Mike's eyes was love, happiness, contentment, a million things that made his heart skip a beat.

"I lied earlier," Alex whispered, looking over Mike's face and caressing his hair with his fingertips.

"Oh yeah?" Mike asked curiously, unconsciously licking his lips and turning Alex on even more.

"I have other clean shirts. I only wear this when I'm missing you. When I want to feel close to you." Alex placed a sweet kiss on Mike's lips.

"Oh," Mike sighed with a lazy smile. "And how often do you wear it?" Mike asked while caressing Alex's face.

Alex leaned down close to Mike's ear and whispered, "Every night," and continued nuzzling his neck. Mike pulled Alex close, bringing him to lay by his side, their legs intertwining, his arms wrapped firmly around his lover, his soulmate, his best friend, his _everything_. Feeling a single tear roll down his cheek, he pressed his lips against Alex's forehead in a prolonged kiss. Alex sat up, breaking free from the kiss and looked down into Mike's sparkling blue eyes. "I guess now that I have the real thing, I won't be needing this anymore." Mike sat up and slowly pulled the shirt off Alex, exposing his smooth, toned, tanned flesh.

Mike wasn't usually so forthcoming with his feelings but it all seemed to flow naturally with Alex, especially now and he was compelled to speak freely and without inhibition. "I've never felt this way before. You make me feel safe and special and loved...You make me feel worthy of that love," Mike confessed as he tenderly traced his fingertips around Alex's strong biceps, up to his shoulders and down his chest. He could actually feel Alex's heart beat quickening. For a second he thought he could hear it but that was actually his own heart beat pounding in his ears.

Alex reached over and removed Mike's shirt and with one motion he wrapped his arm around his lover's torso and laid him back down on the bed. "All I've wanted since the first moment I met you was to make you feel as special as I knew you to be." Mike leaned up to kiss Alex and when they separated Alex continued, "That's all I've ever tried to do." While kissing Mike after each sentence and all the while slowly moving his hand down Mike's body, he added on, "Protect you." _Kiss on Mike's forehead._ "Make you happy." _Kiss on each eye._ "Love you the best I could." _Kiss on Mike's lips._ "The way you deserve to be loved." Alex kissed Mike sensually and the instant their tongues met, his hand reached its destination. At this point, Mike had been seduced through and through letting out moans that drove Alex crazy. Every inch of his body was aching for Alex and Alex knew it was time by the way he was now being held in Mike's firm grip. Reluctantly, Alex asked the question that begged to be asked before they went any further, "I don't mean to be a buzz kill but...Maryse?"

"Buzz kill? That's an understatement." The two pulled away from each other slightly, rolling onto their sides so they could get this discussion out of the way. Mike caressed Alex's face as he explained the situation, "It's okay, we haven't been an official couple for over a year now. She figured out my feelings for you before I even did and ever since then we've maintained this...illusion of a relationship. You know about that stalker incident, right? And she knew I couldn't afford for people to know that I'm...So, we're just two friends helping each other out."

Alex chuckled and pressed his forehead against Mike's, "Well, I must say it's working because even I didn't have a clue. If I did, we would have been _here_ a lot sooner, I think."

"I'm sorry. I tried to tell you a few times but Maryse always seemed to be there convincing me not to." Mike turned his face away feeling embarrassed at how weak he had been.

"Hey, look at me," Alex requested and Mike obliged. "That's all in the past. I could have said something. I tried a few times too but we're here now and that's all that matters." And with a ridiculously charming smile, Alex asked, "Now, where were we?"

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><p>So yeah, I don't think I can write a love scene but they do make love and it's the best sex ever so let your imagination run wild ;) If I did write a love scene though, Mike would have seen that nasty bruise on Alex's thigh that he had at this time and paid special attention to it. Just sayin' :) Also, the story is mostly from Mike's POV and everything seems to be about him. I kinda don't like that aspect and wanted him to show his love for Alex more and how he wanted to make Alex happy but for some reason I couldn't fit it in there but just know that their feelings for one another are completely mutual :D Aren't they the best couple ever?<p> 


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